Page 70 of Wish You Were Mine

“I think Max does though,” Eden added thoughtfully. “He’s too clever not to have noticed.”

This time, it was Bailey’s turn to glare. If we weren’t in public, there was every chance she’d have bared her teeth.

Eden laughed. “Don’t worry, Max is too old for me. You can have him.”

With that, she left. We both stared after her, an unsettled silence between us.

Bailey turned to me, her expression panicked. “Do you think everyone knows about my feelings for Max?”

“Of course not,” I soothed, although it seemed like a distinct possibility. “Let’s never mention this again, okay?”

She nodded mutely.

“Hey guys, what’s up?”

I flinched. Bailey squeaked.

Kennedy’s mouth twisted with amusement. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine,” I said breathlessly. “Just a bit of a workout for my heart. I’ve heard that’s supposed to be good for you.”

Laughing, Kennedy sat on the chair facing Bailey and me, with her back to the rest of the cafe. “So, what are you doing here?”

We exchanged a glance. I bit my lip and darted a look at Asher and Ashley.

Kennedy turned and hummed in understanding. “I got it,” she said. “Can you still see them past me?”

“Yes,” I said quietly.

“Then continue as you were. I’ll just sit here while I wait for my order to be ready.” She flushed. “I’ve been craving banana loaf today. I’m buying enough to keep me going for a few days since my tummy seems to have become quite fussy lately.”

“Have you been sick?” I asked, concerned.

She shook her head. “Not really. I’ve felt a little queasy, but it’s more a case of not having an appetite, or of certain smells putting me off eating.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Bailey said, laying her hand on Kennedy’s. “Make sure to tell Max if you start to feel worse. I’m sure he can help.”

“I will.” Kennedy’s eyes danced with amusement, and I hid a grin. Okay, so maybe Bailey’s hero worship of Max was kind of obvious. I only hoped my feelings for Asher weren’t quite so blatant.

I broke off a piece of slice with my fork and crunched on it as I watched Asher and Ashley talk. She was leaning across the table toward him, while he seemed to be trying to get as far from her as possible. Satisfaction rolled through me.

“I’ve just been to see Grace,” Kennedy said.

“How is she?” Bailey asked.

“She’s tired, obviously,” Kennedy said. “She’s loving being a mom though. She and Finn are so sweet together. I can already imagine her with another baby, or maybe a couple more.”

“Do you know if she wants more kids?” I asked. Neither Grace nor Nate had spoken to me about their plans in that regard.

Kennedy shrugged. “Maybe, but I’m not sure. As much as she loves it, she’s also keen to get back to work. I know she’s been sneaking away while Finn naps to work on her latest Viking romance story, and she’s still researching to make sure she’s fleshed out her Destiny Falls historical romance as well as possible.”

I cocked my head. “She’s worked on that for much longer than she usually does, hasn’t she?”

Kennedy looked uncertain. “You’d know more than me, but maybe because it’s based on true events, she wants to make sure to get the facts right.”

“Hmm possibly.” Grace could be a perfectionist.

“You know how she tracked down Jewel and Rocky’s descendants?” Kennedy asked.